Northstowe

Northstowe Development Framework Document Addendum An exemplar of sustainable living

October 2012

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This addendum to the Northstowe Development Framework Document was prepared by South Cambridgeshire District Council and the Joint Promoters in response to comments raised by the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee (NJDCC) at its meeting on 20 July 2012. It was subsequently endorsed by the NJDCC on 4 October 2012.

Northstowe

Northstowe Development Framework Document Addendum An exemplar of sustainable living

October 2012

Northstowe is a unique and special, sustainable new

town. It is the largest new town to be built in the UK

since the 1960’s. It will be the third largest market town

in Cambridgeshire and will sit at the top of the hierarchy

of new settlements in South Cambridgeshire. Foremost

amongst its attributes will be the high quality transport

infrastructure. It is the only new town in the UK planned

around a dedicated public transport system. The

exemplar, unique and special aspects that Northstowe

aspires to achieve are set out in this paper.

How exemplary status is achieved is described in the

adopted Northstowe Area Action Plan, 2007 (NAAP).

It notes that Northstowe “will be an example of

excellence in the creation of a sustainable settlement

and will promote the Cambridge Sub-Region as a

leader in technological innovation and high quality built

environment” (paragraph B.1).

Policy NS/2(3g) states that the town will be developed

“To a flexible design which will be energy efficient, and

built to be an exemplar of sustainable living with low

carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and able to

accommodate the impacts of climate change”.

The relevant objective in the NAAP seeks to include

“projects which are an exemplar in terms of the use of the

earth’s resources, including energy, water and materials”

(D13/a).

The Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee

(NJDCC) endorsed the Development Framework

Document (DFD) on 20th July 2012 subject to

confirmation of a number of items, including agreement

on what will be the outstanding features of Northstowe

that will make it unique and exemplar. This Exemplar list

of aspirations is considered essential to achieving the

quality of life that will help to set Northstowe apart. It was

subsequently endorsed by the NJDCC at their meeting

on 4th October 2012.

It was agreed that the DFD together with the proposed

exemplary projects would be subject to a three yearly

review.

In its pursuit of achieving an exemplar town NJDCC

endorsed the ambitions set out within this document

which form the framework for the joint aspiration to

secure those qualities that make Northstowe ‘special’.

These qualities are a mix of ‘exemplar’, examples of

pushing the boundaries and demonstrating what might

be emulated elsewhere; and of ‘excellence’, the best in

the field at the time and integrated in the Northstowe

approach in the pursuit of quality. The ambition is to

create a lifestyle and baseline of expectation for new

residents, employees and visitors who will ‘buy in’ to the

Vision and to patterns of sustainable living. Each item will

need to be developed as the planning process proceeds

to joint delivery and will be delivered subject to competing

requirements for essential infrastructure and services and

the need to achieve a viable scheme of development in

the context of financial and technical feasibility.

These qualities are the supporting framework and will be

implemented as far as practicable as the town evolves

over the next 20 years or so. They are grouped under

the sustainable development headings: Environment,

Economic and Social.

Northstowe – An exemplar of sustainable living

Building adaptation to the impacts of 1. climate

change – building design and construction, block

layouts, landscaping, water management.

Efficient use of 2. water resources including rain water

conservation and potential waste water re-use,

utilising new technologies where appropriate, aiming

for grey water recycling as far as possible and in all

non-domestic buildings, and aiming for domestic

consumption of 80 litres/day. This means planning

for large-scale infrastructure from the beginning to

improve on a 33-50% reduction on mains water use

compared with conventional housing where this is

technically and financially practicable.

The provision of exemplar buildings in relation 3.

to renewable resources, energy efficiency and

sustainable construction products and methods.

This would include Life Time Homes, achieving

Code for Sustainable Homes at Levels 4 to 6, or

Passivhaus and increased sustainability across the

development using a ‘fabric first’ approach with an

exemplar level of passive standards and heat loss

reduction through the improvement on µ- Values

set out in Part L of the Building Regulations 2012.

Provision for Co-housing and Self-Build dwellings

should be made. Residents and landlords should

be able to purchase a range of sustainable energy

products to complement the home at the point

of purchase, demonstrated in a show home with

energy advisors available at each phase of the

development. Community non-residential buildings

(schools, sports hubs, waste centre) to achieve a

minimum BREEAM standard of ‘Excellent’, all others

(employment/retail) to achieve ‘Very Good’ with at

least one achieving the ‘Outstanding’ standard post-

2016. The development should achieve excellence

in approach to the use of renewable energy by

including pipe runs and considering heat loads from

the outset where this is technically and financially

practicable and viable.

On and / or offsite 4. renewable energy or very low

carbon technologies (solar, biomass and wind) that

exceeds the standard 10% on-site creation aiming

for the target of 20%.

A reduction of 5. carbon emissions aiming to exceed

the planning policy requirement of a minimum of

10% below building regulation standards (NAAP

2007).

Activating a sustainable construction methodology 6.

through the use of verifiably sustainable, potentially

locally sourced materials, including recycled

materials, and a Travel Plan for construction

labour all contribute towards exemplar projects.

The Construction Method statement process

will include skills and training opportunities in a

variety of techniques and trades, including in the

building refurbishment and sustainable energy field,

employing a local recruitment and apprenticeship

policy. The developer should operate a ‘considerate

contractor” scheme to achieve excellence in

approach and employ the ‘Modern Methods of

Construction’ model.

Innovative design, provision and delivery of 7.

waste and recycling management, including the

segregation, storage and collection of domestic

and commercial waste and recycling materials,

integrated into the street scene. On-site recycling

and re-use facilities encouraging a sustainable

lifestyle.

Site wide 8. Sustainable Urban Drainage System

(SUDs) to manage surface water drainage flow to

mitigate flood risk and integration for irrigation and

amenity where achievable.

The development of a 9. low emission strategy (LES)

relating primarily to a package of measures to

help mitigate transport impact on local air quality

and public health that applies both through the

construction and occupation stages together

with air quality monitoring in and around the

development. Promote technology and / or

infrastructure to mitigate impacts on local air quality,

reduce carbon emissions by encouraging low-

emission / non-fossil fuelled transport and promote

a modal shift away from car travel. The LES would

complement other design and mitigation options

such as travel planning and provision of public

transport infrastructure.

The provision of a public realm and block structure 10.

that provides walkable and convenient cycle

access for all residents to local facilities, services

and employment areas creating an environment for

healthy living, and encouraging easy movement to

facilities and services in surrounding villages.

Integration of 11. CGB through the provision of a

dedicated busway serving as the primary public

transport spine with early provision of local bus

services to optimise access to employment and

recreation uses offered by Cambridge and beyond.

Strong landscape and accessible 12. green

infrastructure that integrates amenity, recreation,

drainage, biodiversity and food production through

allotments, community orchards and gardens, and

smallholder food growing, creating an environment

for healthy living, and provided early in the

development.

Northstowe will be an exemplar in its demonstrable 13.

use of latest technologies and where appropriate,

emerging technologies. These include broadband

cabling, eco-housing to minimise net energy

consumption and space saving technologies. Travel

time information will be provided in employment,

community and public areas.

Environment

Economic Social

An 14. economic development strategy that identifies

the Unique Selling Point (USP) and markets a clear

enterprising and economic role for Northstowe,

complementing regional initiatives, capitalising on its

locational advantages and addressing the need for

business support, local employment opportunities

and skills training. Consideration will be given to the

provision of an exemplar shared commercial space

that can accommodate a range of business needs:

accommodation, shared support services, training,

advice, and sets a precedent in terms of the highest

environmental standards.

The facilitation of ultra-fast 15. fibre cable to the home

and business.

Innovative approach to the 16. architectural design

and delivery of affordable homes and the private

rental market, including a range of flexible house

styles, tenure-types, live-work and self-build.

Consideration will be given to selected plots being

made available to independent developers to allow

visual diversity to develop within an agreed Design

Code to promote architectural identity. Quality is the

mantra – whether that is design, building standards

or environmental standards

The early delivery of essential 17. community and

social infrastructure e.g. schools, community

centres, retail, health, road adoption, access to

public transport, local centres and a ‘town centre’

in parallel with house building to promote social

inclusiveness and create a sense of place with a

multi-use High Street which is 24/7 in its vitality.

Specialist and high achieving secondary education

provision with community access to sports, arts and

other facilities.

Excellence in our approach to the creation of high 18.

quality and healthy living environments for housing

and residential layouts that are designed with

the utmost regard for occupants’ comfort, health

and wellbeing, function, resource consumption,

easy storage for cycles and waste, play and good

architecture – designing for flexible use and lifetime

homes standard. Streets may aim to accommodate

shared space where practicable. Building styles

need to be distinctive and depict a character that

will be defined by careful attention to the production

of Design Codes.

Community-based 19. management and governance,

established from early on to help foster a sense

of ownership by the proposed new Town Council,

and defining the boundaries of Northstowe to give

it identity in its own right and as a neighbourly

asset, by offering an attractive leisure, education,

employment and shopping environment.

Our approach to conceiving and building the new 20.

town will achieve excellence in generating a shared

vision, setting high aspirations, which it will meet or

exceed. The Vision will underpin the ‘character’ of

the place, its unique qualities and shared aspirations

that will give Northstowe its individual and confident

identity – well before the first approvals are issued

or work gets underway. Exemplar status will as

much be defined by the way that Northstowe is

developed with a cohesive and practical phasing

plan, embedded in the involvement of the local

communities as community, public and private

sectors together create the whole exemplar town.

Relevant references in the Northstowe Area Action Plan

Energy Policy NS/23 ‘An Exemplar in Sustainability’ (and

paragraphs D13.2) refers to exemplar projects in

sustainable development, including energy efficiency

measures. This could be achieved by providing an

increased level of sustainability across the development

as a whole which is higher than could normally be

required of the development or building a proportion of

the development to advanced practice by pushing at

the boundaries of the proven technology available at the

time of the development. Paragraph D13.7 quantifies

the degree of energy efficiency by seeking significant

improvements above the 10% reduction in CO2

emissions required by Policy NE/1 of the Development

Control Policies DPD (DCP DPD).

In the case of renewable energy provision, Northstowe

should seek to do better than Policy NE/3 of the DCP

DPD (which requires at least 10% of predicted energy

requirements to be provided by renewable energy) where

possible, aiming towards a target of 20% subject to wider

economic, viability and social testing.

WaterNS/21(6) requires Northstowe to achieve between 33%

and 50% reductions on mains water use compared

with conventional housing. Improvements on this would

contribute towards exemplar projects.

MaterialsThe use of sustainable building materials, locally sourced

and recycled materials and the inclusion of a travel plan

to address the needs of labour during construction would

contribute towards exemplar projects (paragraph D13.9).